Bournemouth’s award winning wildlife watchers

North Bournemouth Wildlife Watch group has been chosen as the South West Region runner up for the Wildlife Trust’s award celebrating the national network of watch groups for junior members aged 7 to 14. 

Based at Stour Valley Local Nature Reserve in Muscliffe, the group has been running for over ten years. 

The judges were particularly impressed with the variety of their activities, which in 2008 included making nest boxes and hedgehog houses, planting native trees, visiting nature reserves and even an upside down walk in the trees to get closer to woodland wildlife.

The first Watch Group of the Year award was given in 1998.  To qualify, entrants submit a year book that illustrates their programme for the previous year and describes the character of the group.

Joy Wallis, People and Wildlife Co-ordinator for Dorset Wildlife Trust, said: “We are really pleased that rangers, Anna-Marie Ford and Gillie Haybell and this wonderful group of kids have received national recognition.  We hope that they will keep up the brilliant work of raising interest in the wildlife of Bournemouth and beyond.”

With over 28,000 members, Wildlife Watch is the UK’s leading junior environmental action group and membership is included in Dorset Wildlife Trust family membership.